Like many things, the history of pinup art has simple beginnings. There was a demand for something and someone realized a way to meet that demand. Specifically, women for looking for new ways to express themselves to others, sometimes through the things...
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If you’re looking for a short list of popular pinup girl artists, then you’ll definitely find it here. No list of favorite pin up girls would be complete without a mention of Betty Grable, one of the first truly popular pinup models in the history of...
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Like many things, the history of pinup art has simple beginnings. There was a demand for something and someone realized a way to meet that demand. Specifically, women for looking for new ways to express themselves to others, sometimes through the things they were wearing or the poses they were making or the images they were broadcasting. Putting images on posters was kind of the only way to share them back in the time before television, and repeatedly printing singular images was (and still is) faster than painting them, so the pinup industry was born.

That’s not to say pinup art can’t be painted too. One of the greatest pinup artists of all time, a man named Gil Elvgren, actually painted more than 500 different images of eye-catching pinup dolls all by himself. Pinup art and its history make for some interesting reading, as we hope to show you. After the Great Depression came to a close thanks to WWI and before the looming threat of WWII was even in people’s minds, artists were experimenting with different formats for their imagery. There were calendars, but also trading (or swapping) cards, magazines and of course, pinups.

What began as a way to show off the fashions of the time became a way of life for the most popular pinup models of the time. Many of these worked with Elvgren, helping him to create a sort of identity for pinup models. Even today, modern pinup models look back to the early days of the artform to spot classic, popular poses that they can make their own. Some of these have an interesting history of their own as well. For instance, Betty Grable’s famous peekaboo pose where she is looking back over her shoulder at viewers is from 1943 and models are still working that angle today.

Pin up girls became a part of the American identity during WWII, when US pilots began painting the beauties on the sides of their bombers and other aircraft. The 1950s would see the next huge pinup talent in Bettie Page, who is often titled the “Queen of Pinup” by those who find themselves taken in by her provocative style and daring (for the time, at least) poses. Page actually did a spread for Playboy magazine in 1955, during the height of her popularity and fame. Her regular history of posing for pin up and fetish images along with coverage in major magazines made Page an international star.

If you’re looking for a short list of popular pinup girl artists, then you’ll definitely find it here. No list of favorite pin up girls would be complete without a mention of Betty Grable, one of the first truly popular pinup models in the history of pinup art. Grable was a huge name back in the 30s and 40s, where she also spent a dozen years among the top 10 box office starts while enjoying a lucrative career as a pinup girl. She was a real original, which brings us to our next favorite pinup girl artist, which is another name you’ve probably heard before.

The “Queen of Pinup”, Betty Page, was one of if not the most popular pinup model from the 1950s. She’s also proof that sexy women sell posters. She was a gorgeous woman for her time, comparable to some of the sexpots that can be found strutting around on posters and in magazines today. And she wasn’t exactly chaste either – Page got a lot of work in the fetish field, posing for blatantly erotic photos before magazines like Playboy were even around. She even posed for Playboy too, back in 1955, at the height of her fame and popularity.

Dita Von Teese is branded by some as the #1 modern pinup model, and she’s certainly a looker. Her trademark pale skin is sure to leave a mark on the memory of those who are seeing her for the first time, and she’s easy to recognize after spotting her just once. Dita is a woman who exhibits the qualities that make a great pinup model – she’s sexy in a classy way that isn’t vulgar, and she’s got that strong look that makes her stand out from other women. The odds are good Teese would show up on a horde of other top pinup girl lists if you looked.

Marilyn Monroe was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty who was active in the pinup modeling scene in the late 50s. She’s undoubtedly one of the most recognizable symbols of sexy in the United States, but people all over the world can recognize her at a glance, making her a sort of international star. If you would judge your favorite pinup girls based on who gets the most views, then this is another model that would show up on the majority of top model lists. Though she was married three times, Monroe didn’t have any children of her own.

Our last favorite pinup girl spot has to go to Christina Aguilera. Believe it or not, she’s posed for quite a few posted as well. This is also a case where one of our favorites took heavy inspiration from another one of our favorites – specifically, Aguilera is a big fan of Marilyn Monroe. She’s classy and cute, with a certain innocent air in many of her images despite the risqué clothing choices she’s made for concerts and performances in the past. Plus, she’s stacked. That’s usually a good thing when we’re talking about eye candy.

Mixed media art is one of the most well recognized movements in modern art history. But unlike other art movements with distinct style, characteristic and description, mixed media is rather difficult to define.

Basically, mixed media is a work of art that incorporates two or more art mediums to create a single, cohesive art piece. This art movement covers a wide spectrum of art and can even blend different genres. Although it started out as a collage that incorporates materials to two dimensional paintings, it has grown to include almost any sort of material. The most common materials used include everyday articles, installation art and recycled materials. Artists can use almost any recyclable material for their mixed media painting. You can turn a dumped pallet collar like the ones here at http://kronuscollars.com/ into a work of art.

Mixed media was born in the early 20th Century. Artists who initially preferred paint on canvass began to explore incorporating materials to their paintings. Collage was among the very first types of mixed media.

Among the well-known pioneers of mixed media is Pablo Picasso. Alongside the burgeoning popularity of cubism, he started to work on collage around 1912. In his piece, Seated Harlequin (1901), Picasso used cork board and oil on canvas. In 1912, he further explored the art of collage by using charcoal and newspaper. Some notable mixed media art pieces by Picasso include Man with Hat and a Violin, and Woman in White. Because of these works, some credit Picasso for the invention of collage.

But what propelled mixed media into the consciousness is the American government’s support for public art during the Great Depression. This has boosted mixed media and brought a new generation of artists who have contributed to its rise in popularity. Art slowly drifted away from the canvas and towards three dimensional pieces. Among the most influential artists that have brought mixed media to greater heights were Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. These two artists were famous for creating revolutionary art pieces that incorporated everyday objects.

Another prominent artist in this genre is Rhea Carmi who is well known for her lively, stunning work that uses basic shapes and bright colors in ways only she can imagine. Many of her art pieces use materials like nylons, old art supplies, cloth, and natural materials like leaves and seeds. Her work, mostly a mix of paint on canvas and collage, has been featured and showcased in different art shows world over. Two of her awesome works are Barren Earth and Enchanted Forest.

Today, modern mixed media art continues to evolve. Installation art (sculptures in public spaces) – a form of mixed media – is also gaining wide attention. Narrative and digital art have also played key components in today’s mixed media artists. Of late, artists have explored on infusing technology with mixed media. An example of which is Jeremy Lutes who uses industrial materials like glass and steel with LED lights and other electronics to create stunning replicas of different creatures.

With more and more artists now exploring the many possibilities of art, mixed media is expected to continue to grow, evolve and achieve greater recognition. The past years have been essential in mixed media emerging as an enduring art movement.

Have you ever been inspired to create art while listening to music? Probably a soothing jazz music or a classical piece. While not everyone would be inspired by the rowdy rock music, others do find artistic insights from the noisy drum beating. Perhaps, the simultaneous beating of any of the electronic drums seen here at Barking Drum stirs their imagination.

Truly, music and art is highly correlated.

Both are an expression or application of the creativity of man, his imagination, ideals, stories, and emotions. Artists express their ideas in visual form such as sculpture, painting or other artistic media, while composers turn their emotions into music. And it’s not surprising to see art movements inspired by music.

Orphism, harmonizing music and art

Orphism, or Simultaneism, is an artistic movement that is derived from Cubism. Robert Delaunay is credited as the pioneer of this abstract art, which gives priority to color and light. The term, Orphism, was coined by the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire in 1912.

Apollinaire described the Cubist-inspired art of Delaunay as a distinct style that brought musical qualities to painting.

He called this new abstract art style Orphism as a homage to Orpheus, the legendary singer and poet in the ancient Greek mythology. Other notable orphist painters include Sonia Delaunay (wife of Robert), Fernand Leger, Frantisek Kupka, Marcel Duchamp, Jean Metzinger, and Francis Picabia.

During the time of Delaunay, the correlation between music and color was an ideology that caught the interest of many artists. Abstract artists and symbolist writers saw the parallelism between visual hues and musical tones. In the book, Uber das Geistige in der Kunst, painter Wassily Kandinsky analyzed the relation of music with the abstract aspects of his art.

Orphist artists followed the geometric fragmentation of Cubism, but what is distinct to their art is that, like Fauvists, they considered color as an essential aesthetic element of their artworks. Cubists were known to remove colors from their paintings, which Orphists didn’t subscribe to.

Robert Delaunay inspired by the works of chemist Michel-Eugene Chevreul, integrated Cubism and colors. The Orphist style applied colors in an abstract way, discovering the effects of light and color when they are not bound to an object. In one of Delaunay’s works, the Sun Disks, he painted superimposed colors that get a sense of movement and rhythm which is analogous to music harmony.

The works of Kupka, a Czech national who resided in Paris, was a staunch advocate of Orphism. In his works, such Disks of Newton, Kupka used vibrating color orchestrations on the canvas that were intended to harmonize musical and visual ideas. The title, itself, attempts to merge music and the renowned physicist Sir Isaac Newton, who was also the first to expound on the relation of light color and the formation of spectrum.

Orphist art pieces were initially exhibited at the Salon des Independants in 1913, but it was in 1914 that this art movement was given a deeper appreciation. Delaunay exhibited Electric Prisms – an abstract art piece that exemplified Orphism and blended Fauvist color, Cubist shapes, and Futurist expression of movement – at the Salon Sonia.

The Orphist artworks of Kupka and Delaunay have equally inspired many artists of that time including Paul Klee, August Macke, and Franz Marc. The succeeding works of these artists obviously had been influenced by the Orphist art movement. Orphism is also credited for the flourishing of Cubist art in Germany.

Many of the Orphist arts are now displayed in major art galleries and museums, and they continue to enthrall its audience. Some modern artists have also been influenced by this art movement.

The pinup style emerged in the middle of the 1900s, and it is still popular today. While it cannot be denied that the style has kept its popularity? Why do we like the style so much?

I think the reason that many people love pinup art is because it is sexy, but it does not have the reputation that porn does. Pornography has a generally bad reputation in most circles. Pinup art is a happy medium; it does not have the same scandalous reputation that porn does. Although pornography has gotten more acceptance over the past few years, I don’t think anyone would call it an art form.

And that I believe is the reason that pinup art has the success that it does: it is sexy, but it is very artistic. The models are classy; these are the sorts of girls that wouldn’t be out of place at a very fancy restaurant or party. Pinup models fulfill a fantasy that many people have of a woman that is sexy AND classy at the same time.

For many people it can also combine two things that people love: nostalgia and sex appeal. Even modern pinup girls have a very 1950s sort of aesthetic; their style harkens back to the “good old days” of post-WWII America. Most people love old-fashioned things, and pinup art combines the appeal of old-fashioned style with beautiful sexy women.

Pinup art is even popular with more feminist critics. Many feminists say that pinup art is a wonderful example of showing the 1950s, but making the art more feminist and sexy. Many feminists also prefer pinup art to porn because it is less objectifying to women. Pinup art is about more than sex usually; men were usually interested in the woman behind the art as well.

Pinup art also harkens back to the days when men loved these sorts of women. Pinup art was very popular in the military; in fact, most airplanes in WWII had beautiful pinup women on the noses of the airplanes.

Pinup art offers a great alternative to porn. If you want to see something sexy, pinup art is an artistic way to look at beautiful women. You are much less likely to get judged for a collection of pinup art than, say, a massive porn folder. That’s not to say one is bad and the other is good! However, pinups have a much classier reputation than porn.

There is something for everyone in the pinup world. There are women on motorcycles, women playing instruments like the ones from http://windplays.com/, all the way to women who are just dressed sexy smoking cigarettes. If you’ve written off pinups as “not sexy enough,” you need to take a second look. You’re missing out on quite a bit by writing off pinup art altogether. At least give it a chance!

For some people, the classic “pin-up girl” look is the ultimate definition of beauty. It is much closer to what the “average girl” looks like today… But these pinup models of the 1930-60s are anything but average. Today I’m going to teach you how to get the same basic look as these beautiful bombshells from a really great time in history!

Let’s start with some good news: you probably don’t need to go on a diet to get this look! The average model from that time period was a little bigger than the models from our time. This is look that a lot of people find attractive; you don’t have to be rail-thin in order to be a bombshell girl in the pinup style.

Next! The hairstyle. The hairstyle is one of the most important parts of the pinup look; often it is what separates models from the 50s from models in the 2000s. The basic style is neat, but flirty. Pinup hairstyles are actually very simple! You don’t need to do a lot to get a great look in the pinup style. Victory curls (from the post-WWII era) and bangs are the order of the day. You will need hairspray to keep the whole hairstyle in place, but once you get that you are good to roll! Just take your curling iron, make the curls, and hold in place with hairspray. This works best if you have a friend and a photo to work from.

The makeup is the next part of the pinup look that really makes the whole look. Make sure your eyebrows are well-trimmed and use liquid liner to give them the “cat eye” look. Your makeup should look simple and fairly natural; you want to emphasize your cheekbones to make sure your face looks narrow and use matte lipstick; don’t go for a glossy finish. If you don’t feel like putting a lot of effort into makeup, just throw on some shades and that will make your life much easier. Makeup is a bit part, but you shouldn’t stress over it!

The next part is your accessories, if you’re in a photo shoot especially! You can opt for typical feminine pinup accessories like handbags, but if you’re feeling adventurous pose with an air rifle like the ones from http://riflejudge.com/. Marilyn Monroe posed with guns in her shoots all the time! You should put some thought into what you want to communicate with your accessories. Do you want to go for a more feminine traditional 50s look? Or would you rather break the rules? The choice is up to you!

Hopefully you can see that getting the pinup look isn’t too hard after all! You can get the look without spending much money or time. And the pinup look still looks stylish and sexy 60 years later!

Unless we’re talking about the pretty ladies painted onto the sides of bomber planes during WWII, most pinup art from the time was designed almost exclusively with low or moody lighting in mind. Classic pinup pictures were the sort of stuff you would stash on your dresser rather than under your bed, and that means keeping the space lit to an optimal degree when displaying pinups. Some of the more modern stuff is nothing less than smut, but there are still plenty of pinup pictures out there that prove low lighting is the best lighting when looking at pretty women.

Though dimmer switches have kind of phased out of popularity much like the pinup art of the 30s and 40s, it’s still possible to get very subdued lighting today. It’s actually easier than ever thanks to LED light bars that provide low wattage, low voltage lighting that costs relatively little to run. Granted, LED lights cost more per bulb and bar than incandescent and fluorescent lights, but they make up for that higher investment cost with an insanely long life, low energy requirements and portability. You don’t need any light socket for this type of lighting, so you can install it anywhere with electrical access.

It’s not as if you would need many bars either. A small strip directly above your poster and facing down, or below your poster and facing up, will set your pinup art in the perfect level of illumination. For larger images, you can use larger lighting setups like these, or you could always use several smaller strips together, side by side, to create a “long” one in their place. The versatility of LED bars means they can fit into any niche and light it up for you, as long as you can figure out some way to use them.

This is actually kind of strange when you think about it. When those pinup pictures are taken, that happens in a (usually) closed environment with the lighting turned way up high, not leaving room for shadows or blemishes or anything of the sort. The images are best made under bright lights, but best viewed under low lights. This is especially true if they are printed on a glossy textured paper, because the surface will reflect the light in just the right way. Anyone who has even a handful of posters knows exactly what effect is being described here.

Even if you don’t have a huge collection of posters, you can still get a lot of use out of LEDs, plus they’re good for saving money on energy usage. You can read more about them at Light Bar Report if you’re interested, but there are plenty of resources about these modern lights, and you’d be better off reading several if you’re thinking of buying any. There is a reason they are showing up more often in homes, schools and offices around the world today. It just comes down to cutting costs, and that’s something these lights can help you to do.